Civilization VI: Fastest Religious Victory Civs, Ranked

Civ 6's Fastest Religious Victory Paths: Top Faith Civs

Securing a Religious Victory in Civilization 6 can be surprisingly swift, particularly if you're not facing heavy religious competition. Several civilizations excel at generating Faith, quickly acquiring Holy Sites, and achieving a rapid Religious Victory. While some Civs offer more reliable paths, these leaders prioritize Faith generation for a potentially faster win, provided the right conditions are met.

Theodora - Byzantine: Conquest and Conversion Synergy

Leader Ability: Metanoia (Holy Sites gain Culture equal to adjacency bonus; Farms gain +1 Faith from Hippodromes and Holy Sites).

Civilization Ability: Taxis (+3 Combat and Religious Strength per converted Holy City; killing a unit spreads your religion).

Unique Units: Dromon (Classical ranged unit), Hippodrome (replaces Entertainment Complex, grants Amenities and a free Heavy Cavalry).

Theodora's strategy hinges on religious warfare. Byzantium's ability boosts combat and religious strength for each converted Holy City, and killing enemy units spreads your religion. Hippodromes facilitate rapid conquest through free Heavy Cavalry. The Culture bonus from Holy Sites accelerates Civic progression; prioritize Theology and Monarchy for more Policy Slots.

Theodora excels at a combined Domination/Religious strategy. Focus on combat engagements to spread your religion, supplementing with Missionaries and Apostles. The Crusades belief provides extra combat strength against units of your religion, making conversion easier before invasion.

Menelik II - Ethiopia: Hill Settlements for Balanced Growth

Leader Ability: Council of Ministers (Cities on Hills gain Science and Culture equal to 15% of their Faith output; +4 Combat Strength for units on Hills).

Civilization Ability: Aksumite Legacy (Resource improvements gain +1 Faith per copy; International Trade Routes gain +0.5 Faith per resource in the origin city; Archaeologists and Museums purchasable with Faith).

Unique Units: Oromo Cavalry (Medieval Light Cavalry), Rock-Hewn Church (+1 Faith per adjacent Mountain or Hill, provides Tourism from Faith after Flight, spreads +1 Appeal).

Menelik II's strength lies in his Leader ability. Founding cities on Hills provides a balanced approach, generating Science and Culture alongside Faith. This allows focusing on Faith buildings without lagging in other areas. Prioritize early Pantheon and Religion acquisition.

Maximize Faith by building Rock-Hewn Churches near mountains and hills. Accumulate Bonus and Luxury Resources, trading with resource-rich civilizations. Prioritizing Culture alongside Faith speeds Civic progression and boosts Religious influence.

Jayavarman VII - Khmer: River-Based Holy Site Domination

Leader Ability: Monasteries of the King (Holy Sites gain Food equal to adjacency bonus, +2 adjacency from Rivers, +2 Housing near Rivers, and trigger a Culture Bomb).

Civilization Ability: Grand Barays (Aqueducts provide +1 Amenity and +1 Faith per citizen; Farms gain +2 Food near Aqueducts, +1 Faith near Holy Sites).

Unique Units: Domrey (Medieval Siege unit), Prasat (+6 Faith, Relic slot, extra Housing, Culture, and Food with certain beliefs; +0.5 Culture per citizen).

Jayavarman VII is excellent for both Cultural and Religious victories. His Leader ability makes Holy Sites near rivers incredibly powerful, generating massive Faith, Housing, and Culture. Aqueducts provide additional Amenities and Faith. Prasat further boosts Culture and Faith.

Prioritize Holy Sites next to rivers, build Aqueducts, and utilize Wonders like the Great Bath and Hanging Gardens to enhance growth and mitigate river drawbacks. Rapid city growth, high Faith generation, and ample Housing and Amenities lead to a fast Religious victory.

Peter - Russia: Tundra Exploitation and Expansion

Leader Ability: The Grand Embassy (Trade Routes with advanced civilizations grant +1 Science and +1 Culture per 3 Technologies or Civics they are ahead of Russia).

Civilization Ability: Mother Russia (+5 extra tiles on city founding; Tundra tiles grant +1 Faith and +1 Production; units immune to Blizzard; warring civilizations suffer double penalties in Russian territory).

Unique Units: Cossack (Industrial Era), Lavra (replaces Holy Site, expands by 2 tiles when a Great Person is spent).

Russia excels at all victory types, but Peter is exceptionally strong for Religious victories. His ability boosts Science and Culture from Trade Routes with advanced civilizations. Russia's ability grants extra tiles, Faith, and Production from Tundra.

Peter’s strategy focuses on Tundra exploitation. Use the Dance of the Aurora pantheon to further boost Tundra yields. Expand rapidly across Tundra using Settlers with the Magnus promotion. Lavras provide significant territorial expansion. St. Basil's Cathedral provides further Tundra bonuses. High Faith output leads to a very early Religious victory.